The Irish standard., 1887-10-22
The Norsemen Again.

The Norsemen Again.
The Tribune of last Sunday contains
the followeng communication from MI.
Roger Vail:
To the Editor of the Tribune:
| Allow me to trespass again on
your valuable space in reply to your
Sunday editorial and to the 'sdesultory
remarks" Of Mr. Tingwold in yesterdays
issue. And first, let me say that [ am
| not vain enough 30 imagine that my
comments upon Nicolay Grevstaa' state
ment that 'sthe Norsemen we're among
The first breakers and seeders OF the
magnificent field OF Anglo-Saxon civil.
izationh will endear me to our Scandin.
avian citizens. [ am neither O. politi-
clan noe newspaper proprietor, and
can therefore we'll afford to stand tIleir
aispleass1se for making historical COR
rection. ] still CON ntsnd that the Tribune
aud Mr.. Tingwoll have not proved the
proposition laid down by Nicolay Grew
stad. and that dragging into the issue
the Scandinavian settlers of Minnesota,
OF the Normans who invaded England
after being cultured by the French, does
not invalidate my assertions that 'sin
former days they (the Norsemen) ).were
predatory people, fond of war and fill
clustering, and instead of being pioneers
OF civilization, they retarded it and were
great obstacles in it's way"
But lest the Tribune and it's Scandin-
avian readers may think me prejudiced
l will refer them to Volume VIII, page
36l, Encyclopedia Britannica, from
which take the following extract:
Toward the end of The eighth century the
descendants of the piratical heathens
known by The general name of Danes,
bus probably born for the most part in
Scandinavian countries to the north of
Denmark, began to plague the English
coasts. These destroying savages re-
sembled the modern Turks in possess
ing fine military qualities, and above
all indomitable courage; they were also
like the Turks in this respect, that
wherever they set their foot progress Of
every kind was arrested, culture was
blasted, and the hopes of civilization
died away. With incredible pains the
church gradually won over these Scand.
inavians and Calibans to the Christian
creed, and when once converted their
immense natural energy and tenacity
were turned Tito right and beneficial
at least in great measure,
But for $50 years the Danes we're the
curse Of England, destroying monaster-
les and the schools maintained by them.
burning churches and private houses.
making life and property everywhere in
secure, and depri7ing the land of that
without which Literature and
art are imposslble' / will not trouble
7our readers with the ravages perpetrat-
ID by the Danes and Norwegians in
-ASAeeAAN ASI CsoA JVO years, AOI ulStNf'Y 1S ,
'pen for all who wish to read it. The
IRISH people fortunately succeeded in
them after lapse of three
enturles, and those who remained are
low part and parcel of the IRISH race.
nd to their credit be it said that on
nany bloody field they fought gallant
= against their Norman descendants
Tho followed them into Ireland
Mr.. Tingwold is pleased to call me q
'elt probably because I am an irish =
IAN. He does me too much honor. IT
lay surprise him to learn I am Celto-
'oiman, my forefathers having come
18th the freebooter Strongbow into Ire
md In the 18th century, since which
mes the De Veales have become more
:vllized by their amalgamation with the
elts. Your correspondent refers me to
he history Of European civilization to
'nvince me Of my errors regarding the
orsemen. Permit me to refer him tn
almes' history Of European civilization
here he will find that am perfectly
'rrect on this subject. ROGER VAIL.